Courage and Convictions

The other day, a personal coach and good friend of mine wrote an inspiring blog entry about courage and actions that was so full of truth, vulnerability and openhearted bravery.

He asked blog readers to respond with where in their lives they would like to be more courageous and what that would look like?  

15 minutes later, as I was planning a run anyhow, I intentionally ran in my sports-bra only for the first time.  This picture is from last October, on my run around the Big Island, when out of necessity I stripped down due to rain and a drenched shirt.

What I want to say admit about this act is this truth:  

I have issues with my body image

I do.  And I say it big, because I think a lot of us do; especially in the health and fitness world, but anywhere one can see advertisements and popular media too.

To move forward with courage in the world; I believe we must first respect ourselves enough to be truthful, honest and vulnerable and openhearted for bravery and courage to follow.

And the truth is, that I obsess about my weight, I worry over my body fat distribution and generally over-think my food choices and body image.

It's said.  My courageous action in response to my fear and doubt about my body:  owning it.  As I said in my previous post, this year I am facing huge challenges; signing up for races I never dreamed I could do, and there is little room in my life for playing small or succumbing to negative self talk.

And I also want to say that right now, I feel better about my body and my food choices than ever before.  I think this is due to the second theme of today's blog entry:  Conviction.

Something that running marathons and living here in Kona, HI amongst Ironman and Ultraman athletes has taught me is:  with dedication, conviction and hard work, anything is possible.

Right now, I know I am training harder than ever before, and it's not easy for me.  I have to write lists; put up motivational sayings all over my apartment; set my alarm; ice my body and do it all over again.  Yes, I am a naturally active person, but this type of training takes discipline and lots of it.  

The rewards are paying off; I feel and look stronger than ever.

A huge part of that is my input; I'm eating better than ever before; my diet (which is totally plant based) is richer in more veggies, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds than ever before.  I feel strong in my conviction to deeply care for the earth and my body and it's having a positive impact on my eating habits and psyche in general.


I am connecting more with the land and abundant resources each day; and my food purchasing power is finally transferring to my pet!  I've struggled for years with feeding my dog something I feel good about; something sustainable and affordable, and I've finally discovered an easy routine of sweet potatoes, turkey, fish, oats and papaya for my best friend, Reba.

No big surprise:  she's pretty happy too!